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#Interview: THE PROVERBIAL MR. UNIVERSE by Maria La Serra

Are you as excited about New Adult August (#NAAugust) as I am? If not, you should be! I’m getting all pumped about it, especially with the amazing lineup of authors and bloggers who will be contributing on here and on Books Are My Fandom!

To get you all ready for the fun to be had next month, I have below some info on a recent NA release, plus an interview with the author. Enjoy!!!

About The Proverbial Mr. Universe by Maria La Serra

Publication date: June 13th 2016

Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Dear girl with the red scarf,
Love was never meant to be conquered,
you have to surrender to it.
Trust me. After all, I am Mr. Universe.

When the universe conveys a message, you listen.

Olivia Montiano just caught her fiancé cheating. Now she is forced to question what she wants out of life and love. Striving to live up to her father’s unrealistic standards for the past twenty-three years, every decision she has ever made was with her father’s wishes in mind—until she finds mysterious, handwritten letters tucked away in places only meant for her. That’s when she realizes she’s been on the wrong path all along and gives her heart to a guy her father thinks is entirely wrong.

Washed-up abstract artist Nick Montgomery has had quite a few setbacks in life. He’s accustomed to never needing anyone, thinking he’s just fine—until he meets the girl with the red scarf. She’s not his type. But the universe has other ideas. Nick has a secret he’s keeping from her, afraid it will bring their new relationship to a sudden halt.

An Interview with Maria La Serra

Describe your book in a tweet.

Olivia Montiano finds mysterious handwritten letters that inspire her to change her life. #TheProverbialMr.Universe

Do you have a type? Does your husband match it?

My type of guy would be a stand-up kind of fellow and someone who has a sense of humour because I love to laugh. I’m fortunate to have found those qualities in my significant other.

Personally, the guys I’m drawn to in books would probably drive me crazy in real life, and not in a good way. Can you think of any traits you find attractive in fiction that you wouldn’t like in reality?

I have always been drawn to men who are a little eccentric, a real maverick or free-thinker, someone who has no boundaries. I find those qualities fascinating, maybe because I’m a little of a non-conformist myself but in the long run we would eventually butt heads, and I would be emotionally drained. In reality, I need someone more stable and settled in their life.

What are your pet peeves when it comes to men?

That’s a tough one because I have no problem in hanging out with the dudes, so I’ve grown accustomed to their personal vexation. So now I brush it off as boys will be boys, but my one pet peeve about men is, the way they think they got women all figured out, but the truth is they’ve got no clue when it comes to women.

What inspired The Proverbial Mr. Universe?

A few years ago I got involved with moreloveletters.com. It’s where family and friends could nominate someone they care about for a love letter bundle. The people who are nominated are usually going through some heart-wrenching time in their lives. I’m amazed how people from all over the world, come together with a sole purpose to uplift someone’s life and of course, I wanted to be part of that. So I wrote handwritten letters anonymously to strangers, hoping to make a small difference in someone’ else’s life, yet not realizing it had made a difference to mine. That’s where I got the idea for the proverbial Mr. Universe.

What’s the main message you want readers to get when reading The Proverbial Mr. Universe?

Be true to yourself and follow your heart, no matter how heavy life can get.

What was your favourite scene to write?

There are so many, but if I had to choose one, then it has to be the scenes with Nick and Dan. I always love relationship between brothers, how they can toy with each other but yet have this loving bond between them.

What has been your favourite part of the writing and publication process so far?

I like the whole process in general, but I think my favourite part is meeting people in the book community, the bloggers or authors like myself. I have been humbled and so touched by the enthusiasm and love from readers, at the end of the day, that’s who I write for.

What’s your #1 piece of advice for aspiring authors?

Be prepared to grow a thick skin. Once your book is out in the world, you have to be realistic that not everybody will love your book the way you do. In life, it’s not possible to like or have a connection with everyone we meet. Therefore it’s true about the characters in the books we write. Be prepared to be bruised and battered, but it’s okay because you only grow from it. You’re going to have to take the good with the bad.

Giveaway!

About Maria La Serra

Maria La Serra, a fashion designer, turned writer, lives in Montreal with her husband and two children. She will try everything at least once, except for skiing, hiking or camping-okay anything relating to activities done in the great outdoors. The Proverbial Mr. Universe is her first novel.

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